A Peculiar Peritoneum: A Case of Tuberculosis in a Male Without Known Risk Factors. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wynne, Joshua; Chew, Kimberline; Kothari, Pooja; Bressman, Maxwell; Tow, Clara
• Is Part Of: Journal of investigative medicine high impact case reports. Volume 10(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: peritoneal -- extrapulmonary -- tuberculosis -- ascites; Internal medicine -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Periodicals; 616.005
• DOI: 10.1177/23247096221142278
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2324-7096

Abstract

Peritoneal tuberculosis is an uncommon diagnosis in developed countries and most commonly presents in patients with known risk factors for tuberculosis. We report a case of a patient without tuberculosis risk factors who presented with 4 years of intermittent fevers, several weeks of increasing abdominal distention, and newly discovered elevated liver tests. The diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis was confirmed following an extensive workup with a positive ascitic fluid culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The patient's fevers resolved with antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic therapy was subsequently de-escalated based on the susceptibility profile.